Meath Athletics launches foundation for aspiring athletes
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At the launch of Meath Athletics Foundation (from left) were Andrew Coscoran, Hugh Kelly, Peter Doherty, Philip Cogavin, Michael Cornyn, Avila Keogh, Kevin McGrath and Elizabeth Morland.Image 2 of 4
Meath athletes at the launch included (from left) Eoin Smyth, Kevin McGrath, Elizabeth Morland and Andrew Coscoran.Image 3 of 4
Hugh Kelly (second from right), bought Andrew Coscoran’s signed Irish singlet in an auction. At the presentation (from left) were Michael Cornyn, Andrew Coscoran, Hugh Kelly and Declan Fahy.Image 4 of 4
RIGHT: Avila Keogh and Meath Athletics secretary Annie Ball at the Foundation launch.Olympians and National champions on hand to offer advice
Meath Athletics created a little bit of history last month when they became the first Co Board in the country to launch a foundation for young athletes aimed at helping them achieve their potential at national and international level.
The foundation was launched at a special function in the Ardboyne Hotel Navan and was attended by several high profile Meath athletes who partipated in a Q & A session.
The aim of the foundation is to help fund training camps, travel, physio and other expenses that are critical to athletes between the age of 15 to 19 years old and maybe beyond as the cannot access funding from Athletics Ireland until the are on the International stage.
The foundation aim's to bridge this gap with funding and plan to get some of this funding from sponsors, companies and individuals with an interest in supporting youth on a path to represent their country and hopefully all the way to World/ European Championships and Olympic Games.
First up for the questions and answers session were three athletes from Ratoath AC who have already represented Ireland at underage level, Jesse Osas (u-23 European Youth Olympics), Christopher Olatunde (who set an u-18 Irish Record for 200m and qualified for European u-18 Championship) and Enya Silkena who represented Ireland at European Youth Olympics and later this year will taking up a scholarship at Texas University.
Following the Ratoath athletes was Bohermeen AC's Kevin McGrath, a former winner of the 1500m at the European Youth Olympics, Irish underage record holder and National Senior Indoor 800m champion in 2025.
Alongside McGrath was another star of Meath athletics Elizabeth Morland from Cushinstown AC who also spoke about her international experience at the same European Youth Olympics and the many Irish records she set at Junior, u-23 and senior level.
Richard Mulligan, a Galway man who went to Providence University where he there trained with John Treacy and Charlie Breagy from Dunleer, spoke about his training there and running in five World Cross-Country Championships for Ireland.
Then it was on to Ireland's fastest miler in history Andrew Coscoran from the Star of the Sea club with Eoin Smyth from Tara AC.
Coscoran spoke about making two Olympics and World Championships, his training and plans for the future and his advice for young athletes.
An auction of Coscoran' s running vest reached €700 and further items that will be auctioned on the Meath Athletics website include a signed Meath senior football team jersey, signed soccer jerseys from the Ireland men's and women's teams and a signed top from Rio Olympian Thomas Barr.